Porchlight Music Theatre will present the musical comedy, which has book, music and lyrics by Jon Steinhagen.
Opening is Feb. 4 (continuing to March 10) at Theatre Building Chicago, 1225 W. Belmont. Steve Scott, associate producer at The Goodman Theatre, will direct.
"The Teapot Scandals is a hilarious musical vaudeville loosely based on the scandalous administration of former president Warren Harding," according to Porchlight. "In the style of the George White Scandals of the roaring '20s, the zany characters of Harding's personal and political life come together to validate his tenure as leader of our nation. Replete with showgirls, magic acts, presidential infidelities, a domineering first lady, and a cabinet full of corrupt self-serving politicos, The Teapot Scandals is a surprisingly relevant tale of an oft-repeated cycle of mayhem and corruption in American politics."
Steinhagen is Porchlight's artistic associate and multiple Jeff Citation and After Dark Award-winning playwright.
The Teapot Scandals "was developed from an original idea through several workshops and staged readings produced by Off the Porch, Porchlight Music Theatre's new musical development program." The work was a finalist in the 2006 National Alliance of Musical Theatre Festival and received a Producer/Writer's Initiative grant from N.A.M.T.
The Teapot Scandals will feature Elic Bramlett as Edwin Denby, Brandon Dahlquist as Warren Gamaliel Harding, Elizabeth Dowling as Evalyn McLean, Scott Gryder as Jess Smith, Elizabeth Haley as Florence Klint Harding, Sara Hayes as Madame Marcia, Tawney Newsome as Carrie Phillips, Marc Pera as Albert Fall, Michael Rosenblum as Harry Daugherty, Tom Shea as Harry Sinclair and Melissa Zimmerman as Nan Britton.
A Republican, Harding was the 29th U.S. President, serving 1921-23. He died of a heart attack while in office, on a trip to San Francisco.
The show's artistic team includes musical director Nick Sula, choreographer Brenda Didier, scenic designer Kevin Depinet, costume designer Carol J. Blanchard, lighting designer Jarrod Moore and sound designer Kevin Carney.
The performance schedule for The Teapot Scandals is Thursdays at 8 PM, Saturdays at 5 PM and Sundays at 6 PM. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for children, students, seniors and groups. There are also half-price rush tickets for students the day of the show.
For information, call (773) 327-5252 or visit www.porchlighttheatre.com.
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Porchlight Music Theatre, founded in 1995 as Porchlight Theatre, has made a name for itself by producing engaging musicals with a focus on new works and inventive adaptations. A professional, not-for-profit organization, the company has staged 28 shows including four world premieres and seven Chicago premieres. The mid-sized theatre company has received five Jeff Awards as well as 13 Jeff Award nominations, 29 Joseph Jefferson Citation nominations, 11 Jeff Citations, and 20 After Dark Awards.
